But their dreams were shattered after three karts were stolen by brazen thieves last month, just days before the annual electric vehicle building competition, EVolocity.
The trailer used to transport the karts has now been found but the three karts are still missing.
On Thursday, rally driver Hayden Paddon and a team from electrical company ETCO visited Avonside Girls’ High to support and encourage the students to take on future projects and offered to sponsor their equipment.
"It’s horrible what happened but we can’t change that.
"But what we can change is getting something new up and running. Bigger and better for next year."
The girls had been building their karts since the beginning of the year as part of a product development course for NCEA levels 1, 2, and 3.
They worked on the karts in their spare time and prepared for the annual electric vehicle building competition EVolocity which took place at Burnside High School last month.
However, the students were devastated to learn their karts had been stolen three hours before the competition started.
"We went to the competition afterwards and we all got sad because we knew that we could have done well."
Bella and her teammates Hannah Mitchell and Sarasa Suzuki are planning to join the competition again.
Principal Catherine Law said it was wonderful to see the community coming together.
"I felt very excited for the students because, of course, they were disappointed with their karts being stolen."
